Antiperspirants are popular personal care products used to prevent or eliminate perspiration and body odor caused by perspiration. Antiperspirants typically prevent the secretion of perspiration by blocking or plugging perspiration-secreting glands, such as those located at the underarms. Antiperspirant sticks are desired by a large majority of the population because of the presence of antiperspirant active compounds that block or prevent the secretion of perspiration and the accompanying odors thereof and because of their ease of application. The antiperspirant composition is applied to the skin by swiping or rubbing the stick across the skin, typically of the underarm. However, antiperspirant users often are disappointed in the chalky, brittle, and/or crumbly application of the stick across the skin
To reduce chalky, brittle, and/or crumbly application of the stick antiperspirant compositions across the skin, antiperspirant emulsion compositions that exhibit smooth application, with minimal crumbling or caking, have been developed. Such products typically include an emulsion of a water phase containing an active antiperspirant compound, such as an antiperspirant metal salt, and an oil phase containing, for example, a hydrophobic carrier, fragrances, structurants, and other additives.
For the antiperspirant emulsion compositions, solid stick antiperspirant emulsion compositions have been developed with varying hardness to meet particular preferences of consumers. However, formulating antiperspirant emulsion compositions to vary the hardness thereof generally requires formulary modification of the components of the antiperspirant emulsion compositions. For example, hardness of antiperspirant emulsion compositions may be influenced by various components including structurants, such as waxes, that are generally used in the antiperspirant emulsion compositions. To vary hardness of the antiperspirant emulsion compositions, the amount and type of wax present in the antiperspirant composition may require modification, thus requiring extensive efforts to maintain other similar characteristics between the various forms of the antiperspirant emulsion compositions, such as antiperspirant efficacy, appearance, and scent, while only modifying the hardness of the antiperspirant emulsion compositions.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide processes for making antiperspirant emulsion compositions that enable hardness of the antiperspirant emulsion compositions to be modified without requiring formulary modification of the antiperspirant emulsion compositions. It is also desirable to provide antiperspirant emulsion compositions made by the processes and having a lower hardness than what would ordinarily be achieved with the antiperspirant emulsion compositions when made in accordance with traditional processes. It is also desirable to provide antiperspirant emulsion compositions having a low hardness. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.